Pressure Cookers: About the Test

Find out how the Good Housekeeping Research Institute evaluated electric and rangetop pressure cookers

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Apr 14, 2011

Philip Friedman

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If the mere mention of a pressure cooker conjures up images of pea soup on your grandmother's stovetop, fear not! Most new models have a host of safety features that make them virtually impossible to burst open. Plus, they're hard to beat if you're looking for a serious weeknight time saver. They can shave hours off of cooking times and let you enjoy hearty, braised and stewed dishes in as little as 30 minutes. They work by building pressure inside the sealed pot, which raises the boiling point from 212°F all the way to 257°F, allowing foods to cook much faster.

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To help you find the best pressure cookers, the Kitchen Appliances & Technology department at the Good Housekeeping Research Institute (GHRI) evaluated rangetop and electric pressure cookers.

Among our findings: In addition to the time required to cook, all pressure cookers require time to build up pressure before they begin cooking and drop pressure after cooking is complete. This can add anywhere from 30 minutes to over an hour to the time it will take to get dinner on the table. Rangetop pressure cookers come up to pressure within a half hour, some in as little as 15 minutes. All five electric pressure cookers in our test took over half an hour to reach full pressure. It can take up to 25 minutes for pressure to drop naturally in a stovetop model and up to 45 minutes in an electric cooker. Many rangetop models and all electric ones have a quick-release feature that allows steam to rapidly escape in only a few minutes. Rangetop pressure cookers can double as a stockpot while electric pressure cookers may automatically keep food warm after cooking and even be used as a slow cooker or rice cooker.

What We Looked for in Rangetop Pressure Cookers:

The time required to come up to pressure.

The time required to reduce pressure.

The evenness with which the pressure cooker distributed heat for browning.

The ability to produce a tender and flavorful beef stew.

The ability to maintain a steady pressure without adjusting the burner.

The thoroughness of the owner's manual.

The presence or absence of visible pressure settings.

The ease of opening and closing the pressure cooker.

The presence or absence of a quick-release setting.

The ease with which the pressure cooker could be cleaned.

The helpfulness and responsiveness of the manufacturer's customer service.

What We Looked for in Electric Pressure Cookers:

The time required to come up to pressure.

The time required to reduce pressure.

The evenness with which the pressure cooker distributed heat for browning.

The ability to produce a tender and flavorful beef stew.

The thoroughness of the owner's manual.

The presence or absence of a quick-release setting.

The ease with which the pressure cooker could be cleaned.

The readability of the pressure cooker control panel.

The type of controls found on the pressure cooker.

The ease of using the pressure cooker's controls.

The size and ergonomics of the handles found on the side of the electric pressure cooker.

The presence or absence of a keep warm setting.

The presence or absence of a slow cook setting.

The presence or absence of a brown setting.

The presence or absence of a steam setting.

The presence or absence of a delay start function.

The helpfulness and responsiveness of the manufacturer's customer service.

We coated the bottom of each pressure cooker with a mixture of flour and shortening. Then, we placed rangetop models over a burner on a gas range and heated them, and we set electric pressure cookers to the "brown" setting. We looked to see how evenly the pot bottoms heated, indicating how evenly they'd brown meat.

We filled each pressure cooker with water to the maximum capacity specified by the manufacturer. For rangetop models, we placed the pressure cooker on a burner on a gas range on a high heat setting, and we turned electric models to the "high" setting to see how long they took to come up to pressure.

For rangetop models, we listened closely once the pot came up to pressure, and noted whether or not it was necessary to adjust the burner more than once during cooking in order to maintain steady pressure.

We prepared an identical batch of beef stew in every pressure cooker, cooking it to the time specified in the recipe. We looked for models that yielded tender pieces of beef without overcooking the vegetables.

We timed how long it took for each model took to drop pressure naturally, as well as how long it took using the quick release (when present).

We read over each owner's manual, looking for thoroughness, time and temperature charts, recipes, and troubleshooting advice.

We looked for quick-release mechanisms on every model we tested.

We assessed how easy each model was to clean, noting which pieces could be placed in the dishwasher.

We called each customer service department with a hypothetical problem and assessed its responsiveness, as well as its ability to resolve our problem.

For rangetop pressure cookers, we checked to see how easily the lid could be locked into place.

For electric models, we looked at the type of controls, as well as how easy they were to use and the clarity of the lettering.

We gripped the handles on electric pressure cookers to assess for size and ergonomics.

We checked each electric model to see what special features it contained, including keep warm, delayed start, steam, brown, and slow cook.When shopping for a pressure cooker, decide if you want a rangetop or electric model: Stovetop models tend to work faster, and the pot can also be used as a stockpot. Electric models take longer but can also be used as slow cookers or steamers. Electric pressure cookers also automatically regulate pressure and bring down pressure once cooking is done, so there's no guesswork.

Look for a pressure cooker made of stainless steel, so it won't interact with food, but be sure it has a heavy aluminum base to distribute heat well.

A pressure cooker with more than one pressure setting will allow you to cook a variety of foods — stews and pot roasts, which require high pressure, as well as delicate vegetables and custards, which benefit from lower pressure.

Look for a built-in quick release setting, which will make it easy to release pressure quickly when you are cooking delicate foods or do not have the time to let the pressure drop naturally.